1st Article IPTS : Kolej Laila Taib – a varsity soon

SIBU: Kolej Laila Taib here will be turned into a full-fledged university in two to three years’ time in an effort to produce more engineers and technicians to meet manpower demands of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, said at the 110th Anniversary of the Foochow Settlement in Sibu celebration on Wednesday, that a 20-acre land next to the college’s present site would be used for expansion.

Taib announced a sum of RM10mil to start the project to turn it into a university.

“I have just completed the first draft of a detailed map survey. I tell you one thing – of all 1.6 million jobs which will be created up to the year 2030, more than 52% are for skilled workers who are diploma holders or graduates with degrees in engineering.

“In other words, SCORE is going to demand us to train more skilled workers. This is where the private sector can come in to complement the government’s effort for this purpose,” he said.

R&D: Accelerating development of science, technology and innovation Read more: R&D: Accelerating development of science, technology and innovation - Extras - New Straits Times

25 June 2012 | last updated at 11:32AM Science and technology have always played a pivotal role in Malaysia’s development and as the country continues to develop at a rapid pace this has become more apparent. This was the thought process for the development of the first National Science and Technology Policy that spanned 1986 to 1989.

It was established to promote the utilisation of science and technology to be used as a tool for economic development and the improvement of people and physical well-being, among others.

The policy encompassed the promotion of scientific and technological self-reliance in support of economic activities through the enhancement of research and development capabilities. This was done by creating an environment that was conducive to scientific creativity and the improvement of scientific, educational and other relevant infrastructure.

Next, the Industrial Technology Development: A National Action Plan, which ran from 1990 to 2001, was formulated focusing on three thrusts – strengthening institutions and support infrastructure for technological development, ensuring diffusion and application of technology, and elevating science and technology public awareness.

The Second National Science and Technology Policy (NSTP2) was formulated in 2002 and runs until this year.  The NSTP2 provides a framework for improved performance and long-term growth of the Malaysian economy with a special focus on seven strategic thrusts:

• Enhancing national capability

  and capacity for R&D, technology

  development and acquisition

• Promoting partnerships between

  public funded organisations and

  industries

• Accelerating the transformation

  of knowledge into value added

  products, processes, services or

  solutions

• Positioning Malaysia as a

  technology provider in key

  strategic knowledge industries

• Fostering societal values and

  attitudes that recognise science

  and technology as critical to future

  prosperity

• Utilising science and technology

  that are in conformity with

  sustainable development

• Developing new knowledge-based

  industries.

The policy will accelerate the development of science and technology capabilities and capacity for national competitiveness. It advocates maximising the utilisation and advancement of science and technology as a tool for sustaining economic development, the improvement of quality of life and safeguarding national security.

1st --> Make IT new

Innovation is key when a second- generation SME owner successfully transforms its core business for the digital age, writes Rozana Sani

1 / 5

“When I wanted something, I had to work hard for it. This meant either doing well in school — which would take time but I was too impatient — or having to go and make money,” says the spirited 35-year-old with a sparkle in her eyes.

Nadira fondly recalls her first business venture in Standard 1 where she bought sweets in bulk from the neighbourhood grocer and sold them to classmates for a handsome profit.

The effort resulted in her being able to buy her first Barbie.

“When I did my bachelor degree in electrical engineering at UTM (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia) in Skudai (Johor), I found time to give tuition to schoolchildren. I also had small business ventures with friends.

“During my third and final years, I even found time to work in Singapore — I would head down to the city-state in the evening and return to university at night, in time for my classes in the morning. I did sales and with what I earned, I bought myself a car — while still studying,” she says with glee.

Upon graduation, she entered the engineering field. But that stint lasted only three years, in part because of her outgoing nature.

“When my father asked me to take over the family business at the age of 25, I welcomed it with open arms,” she says with a smile.

Read more: Make IT new - Tech - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/tech/make-it-new-1.74315#ixzz20eu7FxOh

THINKING out of the box and finding a solution to a problem that works, and works well, is second nature to ICT entrepreneur Nadira Mohd Yusoff.

From a very young age, she had learnt that thinking creatively, studying trends, having the right strategy and having the guts and will to pull it off are what’s needed to achieve one’s target in business. She is, after all, the daughter of a seasoned businessman.

The eloquent and energetic CEO of Nadi-Ayu Technologies Sdn Bhd says: “My father had always been doing business and as a family, we went through the ups and downs with him. He wasn’t easy on us and he expected us to appreciate what it means to earn a living.

“I was hooked on business ever since. I later offered car wash services to the neighbours.

China Has the U.S. Beat

By Adam Aston

Published December 07, 2010

I've been watching China's ascent in cleantech for a couple of years. In that time China's potential to leapfrog the U.S. has gone from talk to substantive examples of leadership. Even so, I've been surprised by the increasing frequency with which China is pushing ahead in new fronts of cleantech development.

Earlier this week, the latest surprise came from energy secretary Steven Chu, who's been talking up China's green progress in an effort to boost Washington's resolve on clean tech policy.

In a talk at the National Press Club, with characteristic forceful clarity (PDF of slides), Chu illuminated the growing list of sectors where China's emerging leadership threatens U.S. players, and added leadership in supercomputing as the most recent Sino-superlative. China's success in these technologies represents a "Sputnik Moment" for the United States, Chu said.

"When it comes to innovation, Americans don't take a back seat to anyone -- and we certainly won't start now," said Secretary Chu at the event. "From wind power to nuclear reactors to high-speed rail, China and other countries are moving aggressively to capture the lead. Given that challenge, and given the enormous economic opportunities in clean energy, it's time for America to do what we do best: innovate."

China's ascent to the top of the list for supercomputing speed reveals a new front in this race. Last month China's Tianhe-1A, developed by Chinese defense researchers, became the world's fastest supercomputer, with a performance level of 2.57 petaflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second, for all the geeks in our audience, based on a standard test), substantially eclipsing the U.S. DOE's Cray XT5 "Jaguar" system at Oak Ridge national labs in Tennessee, which runs at 1.75 petaflop/s. Third place is also held by a Chinese computer.

Supercomputers may seem long way from grid-competitive solar panels, long-range electric car batteries, or other cleantech gizmos, but advanced computational simulation is the keystone of most leading-edge scientific research, including nuclear energy, nanotech and materials science, proteomics and other advanced biotech applications. Basically, any very advanced science these days needs big computing horsepower. Leadership on the fastest-computer league tables has been traded off many times, between U.S., Japanese and European computing centers. China is a relative newcomer to the race, but is clearly the new elite.

Chu highlighted several crucial technologies -- mostly in the areas of power generation and  transportation -- where China is already outpacing U.S. efforts, adding the U.S. must innovate or risk falling far behind. The following is from the DOE:

Noteworthy International Environmental Regulations in 2012 and Businesses' Response Strategies

Principal Investigator : Jang Hyun-suk(zestjang@kita.net) Research.

With growing interest in climate change and environmental protection, countries around the world have expanded their technology regulation for reasons of saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and protecting the environment. With the number of TBT notifications issued around the world reaching 1,101 in 2011, the number of technology regulations related to energy and the environment has soared from 99 in 2004 to 200 in 2011. The share of developing countries among the TBTs submitted to the WTO has also surged from 51.6% in 2004 to 81.2% in 2011. In addition, unlike in the developing countries, the regulations related the energy and environment sectors in advanced countries were introduced through a very thorough, careful, and detailed process. Therefore, if Korea is not well-prepared to tackle this issue, its export will meet a big obstacle. 

on Import and Export of Korea's Businesses>

From 2012,  airlines that land and take off at the EU countries must be taking part in its emission trading scheme(EU-ETS). Cars that emit more carbon dioxide than mandated by the CO2 emission regulation will be fined. All the imported tires should be labeled with the information about their CO2 emission as well. As Korea, the U.S., and China will ban the sales of 100W or higher incandescent bulbs, the import and export of the product will be impossible. In addition, India is also strengthening its technology regulations to the level of that of Europe, as shown in its recent move to oblige labeling of information about six toxic substances that are banned on electric and electronic products imported to India. Against this backdrop, South Korea needs to closely monitor the developments and prepare response measures. 

<Influence of International Environmental Regulations

Pricing worries cloud outlook for India's IT industry

Reuters Jul 13, 2012, 09.44PM IST

• 

(A squeeze on billing rates…)

BANGALORE/MUMBAI: A squeeze on billing rates is clouding the outlook for India's IT industry, which is feeling the pain of discount demands from its key financial sector clients.

Infosys, India's No.2 software services exporter, said on Thursday pricing fell by 3.7 percent in the June quarter from the previous quarter, and larger rivalTata Consultancy Services said prices fell about 1 percent.

Supply And Support Facilities

The support you need; wherever and whenever you need it

IT International Telecom maintains two supply and support locations to service our clients’ cable network needs along the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Atlantic Facility

Our bonded East Coast depot is an over 50,000 square foot (4,645 square meter) facility located in Halifax, Canada. This depot is strategically positioned for quick access to all North American, Western European, and Caribbean cable networks.

Our Halifax facility provides storage for sub-sea cables and repair kits to help manage and facilitate rapid mobilization for all your Atlantic, Western Europe, and Caribbean cable repairs.

Pacific FacilityTo serve our clients in the North Eastern Pacific Region, IT International Telecom maintains a facility in Campbell River, Canada.Please contact IT International Telecom today to see how our coastal facilities and maintenance specialists can service all your needs.

This facility – similar to our Halifax depot – is fully equipped and strategically placed to facilitate projects and service maintenance issues along the West Coast of North America and the Pacific Ocean.

New Japan Technology

WORLD'S SMALLEST HUMANOID ROBOT

i-SOBOT Can Dance and Mimic Animals (August 31, 2007)

i-SOBOT poses with its programmable remote control. (©2007 TOMY Company, Ltd.)

A new humanoid robot, certified as the world's smallest, will be released this autumn by Japanese toy manufacturer Tomy Company. On October 25, 2007, the Omnibot 17µ i-SOBOT is scheduled to hit the market—as well as the 2008 edition of Guinness World Records, which will list the product as "the smallest humanoid robot in production." Robotics fans look forward to i-SOBOT as a fun toy to add to their collections, but also as a leap forward in miniaturization of the advanced parts that go into these high-tech tools.

Surprising Size and Price

i-SOBOT stands just 16.5 centimeters tall, and weighs only around 350 grams. While the robot fits in the palm of your hand, it remains a fully outfitted bipedal machine, with 17 moving joints. Used throughout the body are tiny, custom servomotors developed by Tomy. The robot's onboard gyro-sensor allows it to maintain its balance automatically as it goes smoothly through its programmed motions. i-SOBOT comes with an infrared remote-control unit, but users can also use voice commands to control it.

Tomy's i-SOBOT architecture, the control system developed to operate this new robot, makes use of 19 integrated circuit chips that work in tandem to enable the toy's complex actions.

The miniaturized robot fits comfortably in the palm of the hand. (©2007 TOMY Company, Ltd.)

i-SOBOT will be sold for ¥29,800 before tax ($248 at ¥120 to the dollar) in fully assembled form, complete with rechargeable batteries and its remote control, which features twin joysticks, programmable buttons, and an LCD screen. According to the manufacturer, this price is quite affordable for a robot of this complexity. In addition to its release in Japan, the robot will make its way to markets in the United States and elsewhere in Asia. In 2008 Tomy intends to extend sales to Europe as well. To reach its global sales target of 300,000 units, the company is localizing i-SOBOT's software in English and Chinese in addition to Japanese.

Four Modes for Action

An attractive feature of this versatile robot is its four separate modes for controlling the action. In Remote Control Mode, the user manages the robot's movements directly with the command buttons and joysticks on the wireless remote. In Programming Mode, the user has the option to easily choose commands from a list of available actions—182 in all— or to use the controller to create original actions, or use a combination of the two to program complex sequences that can be up to 240 steps long, with 80 steps stored in each of the robot's three memory slots. Special Action Mode, meanwhile, includes 18 more complex preprogrammed actions, such as "hula dance" and "air drumming." And Voice Control Mode lets the user give the robot one of 10 commands, to which the i-SOBOT can respond with a range of actions.

This robot is entertaining to the ear as well as the eye. As it goes through its actions it plays sounds from its library of nearly 100 sound effects and songs. The speaker can be turned off, too, when silent action is preferable. The toy is humanoid in form, but the designers have included playful actions in its repertoire that have it imitate the adorable movements of animals.

Tomy has taken steps to make i-SOBOT eco-friendly. The toy manufacturer is shipping the robot with three rechargeable AAA batteries from Sanyo Electric Co., whose Eneloop nickel metal hydride batteries let users keep the robot running for months without sending dead batteries to landfills. Tomy is also collaborating in Sanyo's Energy Evolution Project by making i-SOBOT part of the programs carried out at Japanese elementary schools. The companies hope to boost children's awareness of environmental issues by powering the fun robot with rechargeable cells.

Budget 2012: Malaysian ICT Industry's Careful Welcome

AvantiKumar | Oct. 10, 2011

PHOTO - Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Malaysia's ICT industry has extended a cautious welcome to the latest Budget 2012 proposals, worth RM232.8 billion (US$74 billion), tabled on 7 October by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. 

Themed 'National Transformation: Welfare For The People, Well Being For The Nation,' Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said RM181.6 billion (US$57.54 billion) of the total cost of Budget 2012 would be used for operating expenditure and RM51.2 billion (US$16.22 billion) for development expenditure.  

Of the development expenditure, RM29.8 billion (US$9.44 billion) is provided for the economic sector to support infrastructure needs, industry, agriculture and rural development, he said. 

Prime Minister Najib also announced a RM100 million (US$31.69 million) allocation for creativity and innovation of which RM30 million (US$9.5 million) will be used to establish the Market Validation Fund to be managed by the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation together with the Malaysia Innovation Agency

To encourage development of the five 'regional corridors,' Najib said: "In 2012, the government will allocate RM978 million (US$310 million) to accelerate the development in five regional corridors. Among the projects to be implemented are the construction of Johor Bahru-Nusa Jaya coastal highway in Iskandar, Johor; heritage tourism development in Taiping in the Northern Corridor; agropolitan scheme in Besut in the East Coast Economic Region; palm oil industrial cluster project in Lahad Datu in Sabah Development Corridor; and Samalaju water supply in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy."

"To accelerate the banking, finance and capital market, continuous effort is required to promote the development of a more integrated and comprehensive financial services. This can be achieved with the establishment of the Treasury Management Centre, which will contribute to the development of Malaysia as a competitive financial centre in the region," he said, adding that Malaysia would attract multinational corporations (MNCs) with income tax exemption of 70 percent for five years, withholding tax exemption on interest payments on borrowings and stamp duty exemption on loans and service agreements.

Najib said one of the expected benefits of Budget 2012 would be to reduce the budget deficit to 4.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 5.4 percent, while helping GDP to grow from five percent to six percent next year after growing as much as 5.5 percent in 2011. 

Multinational, Malaysia ICT Firms Find PFCC Attractive

IOI Properties Bhd, a heavyweight property developer in terms of size and profitability, expects its Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC) to be one of the most preferred corporate and financial hubs in the Klang Valley. 

Multinational and local ICT companies looking for office towers in Puchong are attracted to PFCC as it has been accorded the MSC Malaysia Status and is recognised as a MSC Malaysia Cybercentre. 

In a statement issued yesterday, IOI Properties said its subsidiary, Flora Development Sdn Bhd,signed a collaboration agreement with Multimedia Development Corp Sdn Bhd (MDeC) last month for the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status. 

The MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status is a prestigious award given to niche business locations that meet the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre standards and criteria. 

The criteria are to provide a world-class physical and information infrastructure and globally competitive telecommunication tariffs to deliver the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees to MSC-status companies. 

Currently, there are fewer than ten buildings in the Klang Valley with the MSC status. 

PFCC, located at Bandar Puteri Puchong, features a business class hotel and four office towers, where two have been built and the rest are to be completed by mid-2013. 

The buildings are equipped with dual electricity source and state-of-the-art information technology features such as a fibre optic backbone to support high-speed broadband Internet access and mobile coverage. 

Already PFCC has secured anchor tenants like the Bank Of China, OCBC Bank, Malaysia Building Society Bhd and VADS Business Process Sdn Bhd for the two completed buildings. 

Operating from PFCC will allow the companies to substantially reduce their cost of doing business, the statement said. 

IOI Properties Bhd, a subsidiary of IOI Group, is one of the largest property developers in Malaysia with a land bank of 2,500ha. 

Read more: Multinational, Malaysia ICT firms find PFCC attractive http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20120710011923/Article/#ixzz20YOCPGkq

Malaysia Airlines Embraces Latest Cockpit Technology

Saturday(13 January 2012) : Malaysia Airlines will soon commence using the Lufthansa Systems Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) application suite on its brand new A330 fleet aircraft in its efforts to further enhance safety of flight operations and reduce costs.

The first of the A330-300 passenger aircraft will be fully operational with the EFB by July 2012 while the remaining A330 already in the fleet will be retrofitted progressively.

Built for the cockpit environment of all sectors of aviation, the EFB can eliminate paper from the cockpit, improve crew situational awareness, improve cockpit efficiency, productivity and safety.

Malaysia Airlines selected the Lufthansa Systems software suite including applications such as e-document viewer, e-charts viewer, airport moving map, performance calculation, e-flight folder and e-form for the EFB system as this guarantees consistent information availability throughout the entire flight while NavAero AB, a Sweden based company provides the EFB hardware.

Malaysia Airlines’ Executive Vice President Flight Operations Captain Izham Ismail said, “At Malaysia Airlines, we have always looked out to improve our flight operations. By opting for the Electronic Flight Bag, we have taken an important step towards more efficient processes. The future belongs to the paperless cockpit, and we are pleased to have an experienced partner like Lufthansa Systems by our side here. Due to a common data layer, the applications of this device can be highly integrated and automatic transfer of data between the applications reduces the risk of manual input mistakes thus enhancing safety of our flights. We expect to benefit not only from the weight reduction but improving efficiency in information management.”

The EFB system deployment will include cross-connected dual systems with UMTS/HSDPA/3G cellular communications module for on-ground data transfer and allow for the depiction of own-ship position on an airport surface moving map application.

Malaysia Airlines has constantly strived to improve the safety and efficiency of its flight operations to be among Asia’s technological forefront. The introduction of EFB on its brand new A330-300 aircraft marks the bold commitment it is taking towards pushing its efficiency to a new level.

Malaysia Airlines has rdered 15 Airbus A330-300 and 4 Airbus A330 freighters to be delivered over the next three years, as part of its fleet renewal programme. It has to date received 5 passenger and 2 freighter aircraft. The passenger aircraft   are currently deployed for selected return flight operations from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Bali and Shanghai.

(from left to right) Malaysia Airlines A330 Captain Ng Seang Sai and First Officer Jayhangir Joshi using the Electronic Flight Bag.

Malaysian ICT To Grow As Economy Recovers, Says Minister

Malaysia’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector could grow by 7% if economic recovery and business confidence continues, says Malaysia’s Science, Technology and Information Minister Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili. ICT contributed as much as RM48 billion (US$15.8 billion) or 10% of Malaysia’s GDP in 2007, but only RM40 billion ($13.2 billion) last year.

  Before the financial crisis ICT in Malaysia had been projected to grow 10% per year, one of Asia’s fastest, he     said.

Ongkili made his comments at Mimos, a major R&D center for ‘frontier technologies’ and advisor to the Malaysian government, which focuses on technology that can be commercialized for growth. Mimos yesterday held a ceremony to transfer technology platforms to three local companies to be developed for market by the private sector: Jaring Communications Sdn Bhd, Mutiara.com and Smart Computing Sdn Bhd.

Six other Malaysian companies also signed deals to licence and develop Mimos’ technology: Disability Solutions Sdn Bhd, Alam Teknokrat Sdn Bhd, Innovision Business Solutions Sdn Bhd, Phytofolia Sdn Bhd, Quantum Beez Sdn Bhd and Fabtronic Sdn Bhd.

131 ‘WiFi Villages’ for Sandakan

Meanwhile, in Malaysia’s far eastern city of Sandakan, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it was halfway through a project to provide minimal-charge wireless internet access to 131 area villages, enabling urban and rural populations equal access to online services. MCMC has also distributed 49,800 netbooks to students in Sabah province on Borneo under the 1Malaysia project.

source & articles: The Star online, Mimos

Malaysian ICT Firms Net RM61.2m Sales

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian ICT companies recorded RM61.2 million potential sales at the Specialised Marketing Mission on ICT Related Services to Jakarta last week.

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) said Malaysian participants received encouraging response during the mission.

"The RM61.2 million generated clearly showed Malaysian software and ICT- related services are of good quality and compatible for international requirements.

"One of the participants had signed a memorandum of understanding with two Indonesian companies for commercialisation and distribution of Math Quest games applications and components, including comic strips, mini-games installation, animation and bedtime stories in the South East Asia region.

"The collaboration is expected to generate over RM1.5 million revenue a year," the trade and investment promotion agency said in a statement.

Thirty-five senior officials from 18 companies and organisations were in the five-day mission from April 23.  -- BERNAMA